Crawford, Texas protesters focus on war, Ethiopia

Dueling rallies against the war and in support of President Bush outside his ranch were overshadowed by about 500 Americans from Ethiopia, which has experienced political unrest and violence since the disputed May election.

Demonstrators called on Bush to pressure the Ethiopian government to release detained opposition party leaders, who accused authorities of rigging the polls that returned the ruling party to power.

About a dozen Bush supporters stood downtown with signs, one reading: "Real America won't wimp out." Closer to the Bush ranch, about 200 people rallied around Cindy Sheehan in a continuation of the California woman's summer protest against the war that claimed her son.

In his weekly radio address Saturday, Bush mourned the growing number of fallen troops in the war with Iraq but vowed to keep fighting.

Crabbers accept

$1.75 per pound

Crab fishermen prepared to head out to sea Saturday after resolving a price dispute with seafood processors that delayed the commercial harvest of Central California's Dungeness crab almost two weeks.

Crabbers in the region's main ports — Bodega Bay, Half Moon Bay and San Francisco — agreed Saturday to accept an offer by the area's largest processors to pay $1.75 per pound of crab, said Larry Collins, vice president of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association. The West Coast's largest processor, Portland-based Pacific Seafood, agreed to the $1.75 per pound price Friday.

The crabbers initially asked for $1.85 per pound, then lowered their request to $1.75 — the amount they were paid last year. They had received as much as $2.50 per pound in the late 1990s, Collins said.

The Dungeness seasons in Oregon, Washington and Northern California were postponed to Dec. 15 after tests indicated the crustaceans wouldn't be ready to harvest by Dec. 1.

Also

Storm weakens: Tropical Storm Delta, churning in the Atlantic four days before the official end of the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane season, weakened Saturday and was expected to pose no threat to land.

The record-setting 2005 Atlantic hurricane season ends Wednesday. Of 25 named storms, 13 became hurricanes with sustained winds of at least 74 mph.

Cellphone accident: A 17-year-old likely will face misdemeanor charges after allegedly losing control of his car while text messaging and hitting a bicyclist who died Friday, two days after the accident.

Under Colorado law, the teen could face up to a year in prison.

Compiled from Reuters

and The Associated Press